US Court Upholds Suspension of Travel Ban

A United States federal appeals court has refused to cancel the suspension of a travel ban ordered by President Donald Trump.

The executive order from January 27 bans travelers from seven mostly Muslim nations.

Last week, a judge in Seattle, Washington issued a temporary restraining order that halted the ban. The federal government appealed that decision.

On Thursday, the appeals court upheld the lower court's suspension of the ban. All three judges agreed in the ruling against the government.

Demonstrators opposed to President Trump's travel ban march through Tom Bradley International Terminal at Los Angeles International Airport, Feb. 4, 2017. One sign thanks federal judge James L. Robart, who issued a stay of the order.

Trump responded on Twitter moments after the court's announcement.

"SEE YOU IN COURT, THE SECURITY OF OUR NATION IS AT STAKE!", he tweeted.

The federal government is now expected to appeal to the Supreme Court.

The ban had led to heated debate and demonstrations around America. The president said the order was critical for national security. But critics said the ban discriminated against Muslims, and they questioned its value as a security measure.

I'm Caty Weaver.

Caty Weaver adapted this story for Learning English from a VOANews report. Hai Do was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and visit us on 51VOA.COM.

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Words in This Story

issue - v. to announce (something) in a public and official way

at stake - n. in a position to be lost or gained

discriminate - v. to unfairly treat a person or group of people differently from other people or groups